FWC eases derelict boat process
At its September meeting in Duck Key, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission approved rule amendments creating a block grant option within the already established FWC derelict vessel and public nuisance vessel removal grant program.
The program will make local vessel removal easier. Currently, Lee and Charlotte counties are working through long lists of abandoned and sunken boats, all in various states of disrepair. If delayed, the problems compound. During Hurricane Debby, a sailboat listed as abandoned was dumped upon the end of the Boca Grande Fishing Pier, creating a bit of an art piece figurehead for the old railroad trestle.
In collaboration with city and county partners, the FWC Boating and Waterways Section proposed the block grant funding option within the existing program to allow an additional reimbursement option for ongoing vessel removals in areas that have already removed a substantial number of derelict boats.
The amendment to the guidelines and application will allow block grant funding to be awarded to eligible governments based on the removal data from prior years.
“Our goal is to keep improving our waterways by removing as many DVs as possible,” said Maj. Bill Holcomb, FWC Boating and Waterways Section Leader. “This amendment will allow local governments that have DV removal experience and are familiar with the process an option to remove these vessels more efficiently. They can remove eligible DVs and submit for reimbursement from their awarded block grant.”
Eligible governments must have removed 40 or more vessels within a three-year period over the preceding five calendar years. The funding for each block grant award will be based on a formula that includes the average number of vessel removals for the applicant and the statewide average cost per removal.
As of June 1, 2024, there were 700 derelict vessels listed in the FWC derelict vessel database.
For more information about the removal grant program, visit MyFWC.com/boating. Select “Grant Programs.”
